3pointD.com

The International Herald Tribune reports that Adidas is planning to launch a free massively multiplayer online soccer game as a promotion to coincide with the World Cup, which kicks off in June. The article makes it sound like the game will be of limited duration, though: “Billed as the first foray into so-called massive multiplayer games by a company outside the video game industry, The Ultimate Team will be a keystone in the Adidas World Cup promotions strategy when it is introduced in May for the duration of the tournament.” It would be great if Adidas could find a way to keep it going, as MMO sports games have great promise, if you ask me. Getting involved in an MMO is much like getting involved in a real-world amateur sports league; you’re fiercely committed and end up building solid, significant relationships with the other people involved, but in the end it’s a pursuit that doesn’t have much of an impact on anything outside it, just a way to take a break from the rest of one’s life. Here’s another, which does look like it’ll survive: Ultimate Baseball.